Minimum connecting time
The minimum connecting time is an important parameter for the organization of connecting flights in air traffic . It is the minimum time that must elapse between the landing of one aircraft and the take-off of the next, so that a passenger is even able to reach his connecting flight.
It should be noted that the MCT designates the time between landing and take-off, while the actual time that the passenger has to change trains can be significantly shorter. After all, he can only get out when the aircraft has reached its parking position - a point in time known as on-block time . In addition, he must be on board his connecting flight before the off-block time . Depending on the size of the airport and the distance of the parking space from the runway, this results in a reduction in the time actually available. Another important factor is whether there is enough time to load the luggage onto the connecting aircraft. For this, the distance between the parking positions or the degree of organization of the luggage transport is decisive .
Different MCT
The minimum connecting time must be set individually for each airport. It also differs within the airport according to which terminals are used, whether different airlines are affected and whether the transition between national or international flights takes place. There are a number of different MCTs for each airport, for example:
| Airport | Change | MCT | source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vienna Airport | all connections | 25 minutes | |
| Munich Airport | inside Terminal 2 | 40 minutes | |
| inside Terminal 1 | 40 minutes | ||
| between Terminal 1 and 2 | 45 minutes | ||
| airport Zurich | all connections | 40 minutes | |
| airport Frankfurt | all connections | 45 minutes | |
| Amsterdam airport | continental | 40 minutes | |
| intercontinental | 50 minutes | ||
| Paris-Charles-de-Gaulle airport | each within Terminal 1, 2 or 3 | 70 minutes | |
| between Terminal 1, 2 or 3 | 90 minutes | ||
| Berlin Tegel Airport | between easyJet connections | 120 minutes |
Ticketing
Computer reservation systems (CRS) use the MCT automatically to calculate possible connecting connections. If a connection is theoretically feasible, but the MCT is not reached, it is not even specified in the CRS.
Short transfer times are particularly attractive for airlines and airports. In computer reservation systems, the connections are usually sorted according to the total travel time. Since travel agents often only offer customers the first connections they see, an artificially low MCT can increase the number of bookings.
Legal meaning
The minimum connecting time has legal consequences. If a travel agency books a connection that falls below the MCT, the airline is not obliged to transport the passenger if he misses his connection. If, on the other hand, the MCT according to the booking is adhered to, but in a specific case undercut by a feeder flight arriving late, this can lead to a claim for compensation within the scope of the passenger rights if the connecting flight is missed and the arrival at the destination is delayed .
literature
- Peter Maurer: Air traffic management . 4th edition. Oldenbourg, Munich 2006 (especially pp. 200f.).
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ Benefits of VIE. Retrieved September 26, 2017 .
- ↑ Change in Munich: quick and easy. Retrieved September 26, 2017 .
- ↑ Specifications of the baggage process, page 27 (PDF; 0.2 MB). Retrieved September 26, 2017 .
- ↑ Locational advantages of Frankfurt Airport. Retrieved September 26, 2017 .
- ↑ Change to Amsterdam-Schiphol. Retrieved September 26, 2017 .
- ↑ Informations pratiques Correspondance. Retrieved September 24, 2018 (French).
- ↑ Worldwide by easyJet: minimum connection time and transfers. Retrieved September 3, 2018 .
- ↑ Easyjet turns Tegel into a transfer airport. In: airliners.de. August 31, 2018, accessed September 4, 2018 .
- ↑ The minimum transfer time is binding for airlines. In: airliners.de. April 27, 2018. Retrieved September 24, 2018 .